Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Banks of Allan Water

Traditional

“Banks of Allan Water” as printed in The Black-Bird Songster (1840).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 412 1840 · historical text
Public domainScottish songSongster
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Black-Bird Songster, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

On tho banks of Allan water,

When the sweet spring time did fall,

Was the miller's lovely daughter,

Fairest of them all.

For his bride a soldier sought her,

And a winning tongue had he;

On the banks of Allan water,

None so gay as sho.

Verse 2

On the banks of Allan water,

When brown autumn spreads his story,

There I saw the miller's daughter;

But sho smiled no more.

For the summer grief had brought her,

And her soldier false was he;

On the banks of Allan water,

Nono so sad as she.

Verse 3

On the banks of Allan water,

When the winter snow fell fast

Still was seen the miller's daughter,

Chilling blew the blast.

But the miller's lovely daughter,

Both from cold and care was free—

On the banks of Allan water,

There a corso lay she.

Credits

Written by Traditional

Traditional words. Historical text published in The Black-Bird Songster (1840); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Black-Bird Songster (1840), “Banks of Allan Water”

Every contribution in this 1840 songster predates modern copyright terms; any contributor died more than 130 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-26. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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